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Summary

Used in a variety of courses in various disciplines, Asking the Right Questions with Readingshelps bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information, and the greater challenge of critical analysis and synthesis. Specifically, this concise text teaches how to think critically by exploring the components of arguments--issues, conclusions, reasons, evidence, assumptions, language--and on how to spot fallacies and manipulations and obstacles to critical thinking.

Table of Contents

Contents

Preface

Chapter1: The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions

Introduction

Critical Thinking to the Rescue

The Sponge and Panning for Gold: Alternative Thinking Styles

An Example of the Panning-for-Gold Approach

Panning for Gold: Asking Critical Questions

The Myth of the “Right Answer”

The Usefulness of Asking the Question, “Who Cares?”

Weak-Sense and Strong-Sense Critical Thinking

The Satisfaction of Using the Panning-for-Gold Approach

Effective Communication and Critical Thinking

The Importance of Practice

The Right Questions

Chapter 2: Critical Thinking Is a Social Activity

Values and Other People

The Primary Values of a Critical Thinker

Thinking and Feelings

Keeping the Conversation Going

Avoiding the Dangers of Groupthink

Chapter3: What Are the Issue and the Conclusion?

Kinds of Issues

Searching for the Issue

Searching for the Author’s or Speaker’s Conclusion

Using This Critical Question

Clues to Discovery: How to Find the Conclusion

Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking

Practice Exercises

Fred von Lohmann, "Copyright Silliness on Campus"

Chapter 4: What Are the Reasons?

Reasons + Conclusion = Argument

Initiating the Questioning Process

Words That Identify Reasons

Kinds of Reasons

Keeping the Reasons and Conclusions Straight

Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking

Practice Exercises

David Horowitz, "College Professors Should Be Made to Teach, Not Preach"

Chapter5: What Words or Phrases Are Ambiguous?

The Confusing Flexibility of Words

Locating Key Terms and Phrases

Checking for Ambiguity

Using This Critical Question

Determining Ambiguity

Context and Ambiguity

Using This Critical Question

Ambiguity, Definitions, and the Dictionary

Ambiguity and Loaded Language

Limits of Your Responsibility to Clarify Ambiguity

Ambiguity and Your Own Writing and Speaking

Summary

Practice Exercises

New York Times editoriall, "Juvenile Injustice"

Chapter 6: What Are the Value and Descriptive Assumptions?

General Guide for Identifying Assumptions

Value Conflicts and Assumptions

From Values to Value Assumptions

Typical Value Conflicts

The Communicator’s Background as a Clue to Value Assumptions

Consequences as Clues to Value Assumptions

More Hints for Finding Value Assumptions

Avoiding a Typical Difficulty When Identifying Value Assumptions

Finding Value Assumptions on Your Own

Using This Critical Question

Values and Relativism

Identifying and Evaluating Descriptive Assumptions

Illustrating Descriptive Assumptions

Using this Critical Question

Clues for Locating Assumptions

Avoiding Analysis of Trivial Assumptions

Assumptions and Your Own Writing and Speaking

Practice Exercises

Religion News Blog, "Should We Legalize Marijuana?"

Chapter 7: Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?

A Questioning Approach to Finding Reasoning Fallacies

Evaluating Assumptions as a Starting Point

Discovering Other Common Reasoning Fallacies

Looking for Diversions

Sleight of Hand: Begging the Question

Using This Critical Question

Summary of Reasoning Errors

Expanding Your Knowledge of Fallacies

Fallacies and Your Own Writing and Speaking

Practice Exercises

Jacob Sullum, "Gun Control Non Sequiturs"

Chapter 8: How Good Is the Evidence: Intuition, Personal Experience, Testimonials, and Appeals to Authority?

The Need for Evidence

Locating Factual Claims

Sources of Evidence

Intuition as Evidence

Dangers of Appealing to Personal Experience as Evidence

Testimonials as Evidence

Appeals to Authority as Evidence

Problems with Citers Citing Other Citers

Using This Critical Question

Summary

Practice Exercises

Isabel Lyman, "Homeschooling Comes of Age"

Chapter 9: How Good Is the Evidence: Personal Observation, Research Studies, Case Examples, and Analogies?